News

Wanindu, Dimuth heroics take Sri Lanka to super six in World Cup qualifiers

Published

3 years ago

June 26, 2023

Editor

Sri Lanka booked their slot in the Super Six stage of the Cricket World Cup qualifying tournament after a dominant 133-run win over Ireland in their third game on Sunday.

The win sealed Sri Lanka’s spot in the super six stage. Scotland and Oman also advanced to the super six stage after finishing second and third respectively in Group B.

Earlier put into bat first Sri Lanka were in some sort of trouble when they were at 48-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Sri Lanka desperately needing a big partnership saw Dimuth Karunaratne and Sadeera Samarawickrama deliver when the duo mounted a rescue with a solid third-wicket partnership worth 168 to tilt the game back in Sri Lanka’s favour.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne made a run-a-ball 103 and Sadeera Samarawickrama hit 82 as Sri Lanka compiled an imposing total of 325 all out off 49.5 overs.

Charith Asalanka (38) and Dhananjaya de Silva (42 not out) also chipped in as Ireland sought to limit the damage in the closing overs.

Dimuth notched up his maiden century after 12 years since he debuted.

In reply, Ireland could only manage 192 as Wanindu Hasaranga scalped another five-wicket haul. Besides that, Maheesh Theekshana also took 2/29. This was his third consecutive five-wicket haul in ODIs. With this, Hasaranga equals the world record for most consecutive five-fors in ODIs with Pakistan’s Waqar Younis.

In the post-match presentation, Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka lauded the boy’s effort especially Dimuth Karunaratne who went on to say opening batter Dimuth Karunaratne is the perfect player to lead their batting order.

“Everything is going in the right direction. We could have performed better with the bat towards the end. Perhaps the aggressive batting from myself and Wanindu didn’t yield the desired results in the latter part of the game,” said Shanaka.

He went on to say that Karunaratne is the perfect player to lead the team from the top of the batting order. Karunaratne scored 103 runs off as many balls, hitting eight boundaries in his innings against Ireland.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s batter Dimuth Karunaratne who brought up his maiden ODI century was awarded ‘Player of the Match’ for his knock of 103, which contributed to a comprehensive win for Sri Lanka by 133 runs.
In the post-match conference, Karunaratne said he wants to make it big when he gets the start.

“Not at all (On whether the chance for ODI hundred had passed him), wanted to continue for the team. That’s what I do. If I get a start, I want to go for the big one. (On the pitch) In the morning, there is something for the bowlers, but when the swing stops we can get some boundaries. I was waiting for that, the first hour was about giving the bowlers respect. I try to apply the same technique, that is what has helped me score heavily in Test cricket. Don’t try to hit them hard, just time them well,” Karunaratne said.

Sri Lanka are all set to face Scotland in their next World Cup Qualifier match on June 27 at Bulawayo.

Sri Lanka: 325 all out in 49.5 overs (Dimuth Karunaratne 103, Sadeera Samarawickrama 82; Mark Adair 4/46, Barry McCarthy 3/56) vs Ireland: 192 all out in 31 overs (Curtis Campher 39, Harry Tector 33; Wanindu Hasaranga 5/79; Maheesh Theekshana 2-29)

Cricket

Sri Lanka U19 Women’s Team Set for Australia Tour 2026 Tri-Nation Series

Published

51 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Editor

The Sri Lanka Under-19 Women’s Cricket Team is set to tour Australia in April 2026 for an exciting tri-nation series that will also feature England. This tour represents an important opportunity for the young Sri Lankan players to gain international exposure and compete against strong opposition in both limited-overs formats. The team is scheduled to depart on 3rd April 2026 and will play a total of six matches during the tour, including two 50-over games and four T20 matches.

The series will begin on 7th April 2026 with a 50-over match against England at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane, starting at 9:30 AM. Sri Lanka will then face Australia in another 50-over encounter on 8th April 2026 at the same venue and time. The action will shift to the Gold Coast for the T20 leg of the tour, where Sri Lanka will meet England on 12th April 2026 at Bill Pippen Oval at 9:00 AM, followed by a match against Australia on 13th April 2026 at the same ground and time. The final phase of the tour returns to Brisbane, with Sri Lanka playing England on 17th April 2026 and Australia on 18th April 2026 in two early morning T20 matches at Ian Healy Oval, both starting at 5:30 AM.

Match Schedule
•⁠ ⁠7th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs England (50-over)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 09:30 AM
•⁠ ⁠8th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs Australia (50-over)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 09:30 AM
•⁠ ⁠12th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs England (T20)
Bill Pippen Oval, Gold Coast – 09:00 AM
•⁠ ⁠13th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs Australia (T20)
Bill Pippen Oval, Gold Coast – 09:00 AM
•⁠ ⁠17th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs England (T20)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 05:30 AM
•⁠ ⁠18th April 2026 – Sri Lanka vs Australia (T20)
Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 05:30 AM

News

Mahela Jayawardena President Captain of Royal Colombo Golf Club

Published

1 hour ago

March 27, 2026

Editor

The Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) has announced the appointment of Mahela Jayawardena as its Captain for the 2026–2027 term. The decision was formally confirmed at the Club’s Annual General Meeting held yesterday (March 26).

Jayawardena, widely regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s greatest sporting icons, brings a wealth of leadership experience to the prestigious role. A former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team, he earned global recognition for his sharp tactical insight, calm demeanor under pressure, and exemplary sportsmanship throughout his career.

During an international career spanning nearly two decades, Jayawardena featured in more than 650 matches and amassed over 25,000 runs across all formats of the game. Since retiring from international cricket, he has remained an influential figure in the sport, contributing through coaching, mentorship, and leadership roles at both domestic and international levels.
Founded in 1879, the Royal Colombo Golf Club stands among the oldest golf institutions in Asia and has played a central role in fostering the growth of golf in Sri Lanka.

News

Sri Lanka Dominates Saudi Arabia in Junior Davis Cup Qualifying!

Published

18 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Editor

In the ongoing Junior Davis Cup Tennis Qualifying Tournament currently being held in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka had a great weekend by defeating Saudi Arabia 3-0.

The team showed their dominance by winning both singles matches and then winning both doubles matches with comfortable margins.

Sri Lanka won the first singles match when Ashlin de Silva beat Mahdi Al Ibrahim 6-2, 7-5.

In the second singles match, Mayuran Kubern came back after losing the first set to defeat Ahmed Baha Sarouji 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Sri Lanka then continued their momentum into the doubles matches where Mayuran Kubern and Ashlin de Silva defeated the Saudi pair 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

In the other doubles match, the Sri Lankan duo was ahead in the second set 4-6 when the Saudi pair of Mahdi Al Ibrahim and Souhail ElFarouki retired from the match.

With this comprehensive win, Sri Lanka is now in a very strong position within the tournament.

The team will have a day off on Monday and is scheduled to play in the Championship on Thursday.